By Thomas Ward – Wellness Program Manager, UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc. You’ve worked with your stakeholders and have set up your strategy, created programs and services that you just know will work – it’s now “go day” and the only employees who show up are the woman who runs every day after work and
Working on Wellness Blog
Additional Stories
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Savor the Flavor of Eating Right!
March is National Nutrition Month. 117 million Americans, about half of the population, have one or more preventable chronic diseases.1 Some of these diseases include cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and poor bone health. The aforementioned diseases have been shown to be related to poor quality eating patterns and physical inactivity.
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Stretching Does a Body, and Mind, Good!
Stretching is often taken for granted, but it’s one of the best things we can do for our bodies. It’s important for all of us, especially those of us with desk jobs or who sit for long stretches (pun intended), to stretch regularly throughout the day. Sitting for hours on end can wreak havoc on
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A vision for a productive workforce involves healthy eyes
Sight is one of the most important senses. Many of us rely on it to help navigate through our daily activities. Yet, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 work-related eye injuries that require medical treatment occur daily in the United States. Eye injuries are not only costly and inconvenient for employees, but can also negatively
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Sleep, Performance and the Workplace
Poor sleep health is a common problem facing Americans. 25 percent of U.S. adults report insufficient sleep or rest at least 15 out of every 30 days according to Healthy People 2020. Sleeping well for an adequate amount of time is essential for good health and a productive, high quality day. Insufficient sleep and a
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Benefits of a Wellness Committee
Are you interested in starting a wellness program at your organization but feel overwhelmed with the amount of work that is required? Don’t fret – you can succeed with the help of a Wellness Committee in your organization. A Wellness Committee is composed of selected members of an organization who plan, implement, and evaluate an
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Embracing American Heart Month in Your Workplace
If you’ve turned on the television recently or seen a local advertisement, you may have seen announcements highlighting heart health, wearing red, or lowering blood pressure. That is because February is American Heart Month!
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How Food and Nutrition Policies can Help You Meet Your Wellness Goals
Does this sound familiar? You walk into your organization’s onsite cafeteria and the first thing you see is the daily special. It’s a Giant Spicy Beef Burrito topped with Monterey Jack Cheese and served with chips and a medium drink for $5.99. As a member of your wellness committee you think about the recent results
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How Worksite Wellness Works for You – Testimonials from Massachusetts Employees
Worksite wellness programs are becoming more common as employers and employees realize that a healthy workplace comes with great benefits. For employers, a healthy workplace can lead to increases in employee productivity and retention, and decreases in absenteeism and healthcare costs. For employees, a worksite wellness program can help reduce their risks of chronic disease
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If You Build It, He Will Come…
We’ve all probably heard this line from the movie ‘Field of Dreams’. It often serves as a metaphor for having a vision and then attracting the desired results to that vision. In the context of a worksite wellness program, it’s not enough to build it. They (the employees) won’t come of they don’t know about
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Winter Worksite Wellness
Winter can be a tough time for some to stay active, especially in Massachusetts. The sun seems to only rise during traditional work hours, it can be extremely cold, and holidays are an excuse to not eat the best foods for our minds and bodies. What can your organization do to improve your employees’ health
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New Year’s Resolution: Enroll in Working on Wellness for You & Your Workforce
It is that time of year when family and friends pledge their New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions range from changing mindsets to changing behaviors. There is something so refreshing about having a full 365 days ahead full of possibilities that bring positive changes into people’s lives.
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Overcoming Holiday Stress at Work
The holidays and the ending of another year brings joy, good food, and friends and families together, but it is also a time when stress and anxiety tend to heighten. The holidays can add extra tension and stress as employees try to balance end-of-year deadlines and navigate holiday celebrations. Holiday burnout and stress can lead
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Promoting Physical Activity During the Day Makes Good Business Sense
Being physically active is important for a healthy body and a healthy mind. It’s not enough to tell your employees to engage in more physical activity. Chances are they already know that. We need to provide a worksite culture where physical activity is not only encouraged, but employees have opportunities to engage in physical activity
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How to Bring in Healthy Food to Workplace Functions
Why is it important to eat healthy? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthy diet and nutrition can promote weight management, as well as reduce the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.1 Employees that are healthier are also generally more productive, and are less likely
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Creating New Social Norms
If you ever watched AMC’s award-winning drama Mad Men, you experienced the 1960’s advertising industry. The office attire, the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the roles of men and women were far different from today. Yet these were the social norms of the time, the accepted rules of behavior within a group.